The Funky Stench of Taiwan’s Delicious Stinky Tofu

With its unconventional name and niche menu offerings, Dai's House of Unique Stink is a distinctive food joint. First, there's the fact that the restaurant has had to move seven times because of the smells. Then there's the food that they cook. We're talking, of course, about stinky tofu. One of Taiwan's favorite dishes is a fermented concoction full of live bacteria and a whole lotta smell. Its pungent aroma has been compared to decaying garbage, rotten meat and smelly feet. Nevertheless, it enjoys a dedicated following-and no one does stinky tofu like Dai's. Owner Wu Xu Biyin takes us on a tour of this amazing eatery, which has been in her family for over 60 years. Fair warning: you may want to plug your nose for this one.
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[@limbolegs]

One of my friends bought me this at my local night market, smells like feet, tastes delicious. Would recommend

[@rashoietolan3047]

Great Big Story deiiiiiisssss fooooooooooo

[@abigaillui8261]

Bradthewinner what does it taste like?

[@iluvdoge966]

Abigail Lui Fried tofu,very yummy

[@amanpanda4497]

wow,Was that a FRIENDS reference tho by any chance?

[@hadesdnd4900]

Bradthewinner i

[@bartcomments5886]

Stinky tofu is the best! I had some in Taiwan before, my favorite is the crispy type with the garlic sauce. Don't knock it until you try it!

[@SuperPhoenixDragon]

Bart Comments I wanna eat stinky tofu so bad but my parents can't stand the smell 😢

[@bartcomments5886]

Yea, the smell for afar is quite something, but it's oddly different once consumed. Maybe there is a restaurant nearby to you that serves it?

[@FloorKarpeting]

Bart Comments one day if I go to Taiwan I'll try your suggestion I'm very open to new foods

[@FloorKarpeting]

Bart Comments one day if I go to Taiwan I'll try your suggestion I'm very open to new foods

[@FlyingTigersKMT]

Bart Comments - You gotta dip it in the garlic sauce but get some hot sauce and also the pickled vegetables in the same bite. That's pure heaven right there.

[@DJSAT0]

shout out to camera man for not throwing up

[@giraffeorganic]

my guess is that they most likely hired one that likes stinky tofy

[@DefyingZero]

Organic Giraffe He might be wearing mask, who knows?

[@jamesdagamergtvn8267]

I think he's wearing a gas mask 😷

[@SammuDayo]

TRUE FACTS LOLLLL, Taiwanese speaking BTW

[@oopopp]

Most Asians CAN NOT STAND THE SMELL OF CHEESE.... so every culture has their limits....

[@motiv8_750]

Elderly: it’s not stinky enough Owner: ok , now it’s now time for the big boys. This one was fermented from generations to generations date back from the 1700s

[@purvimehta9311]

Hey bernie

[@masterimbecile]

I went to the location in the video and tried some of her tofu, and I got instantly hooked. Her style is way, way more pungent than normal, though. Just imagine eating the most pungent cheese you've ever had (e.g. blue cheese or feta), and then kick it up a notch. There is an unmistakable nuttiness to her tofu. Next time I go back I'm definitely having some more. The tofu you find in night markets and in other restaurants tend to be much milder. Also, the fried version tends to be less pungent than braised/ steamed versions (maybe frying takes away some of the pungency). By the way, if you're ever in Taipei, her location is near the Taipei Metro Taipei City Hall station (臺北捷運市政府站), and they opened up another location a few years back near my childhood home! It's in the Shipai market (石牌菜市場), which is 5 minutes walking from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital (臺北榮民總醫院), and about 10 minutes walking from Shipai station (石牌站).

[@homebodytiger]

no jk this is the best comment for those looking for an adventurous foodie travel excuse

[@crabman1398]

feta isn't that pungent, right?

[@platyhelminthes2877]

@@crabman1398 Feta isn't super pungent, but it does have a relatively intense smell and flavor - not one that I would consider especially "stinky" or "fermented", but rather just concentrated, "sharp", and a little bit musky.

[@Meianju]

Thanks for that description. I dislike blue cheese so I guess Stinky Tofu is not for me

[@lunasea2433]

Thanks for the directions 👍

[@NafstaPolarIce]

Dang... I wonder who the first person to make this was like..."Hey lets put a cube made from bean curds into fermenting liquids and then eat it!"

[@jayyyzeee6409]

Yeah, and when it's covered in something that looks like green vomit, they're like "Looks about ready to eat. Let me just wipe off the excess vomit."

[@codename9824]

Most pre refrigeration foods had to be salted, dried or fermented to be preserved. People have been fermenting foods for thousands of years and it probably started with a hungry human trying something that should’ve been bad but wasn’t.

[@tryomama]

Close. But the real story is that a student that is low on money had a lot of toufu but has no idea how to keep it for a long period of time. So he fermented it thinking it may last longer. The time when he opened the first pot, he almost vomited but because there's not much choice and they are in hard times, he ate it after frying the toufu. In the end, he loved it and that's how it spread.

[@asillypiggy]

It’s said to be made by a toufu merhant who can not sell his toufu after it rot. However, he’s too poor, so he had no choice but to eat the rotten toufu, which turned out to be delicious. So he sold them and became a success.

[@LolLol-hj3kp]

Tbh more like someone tried to ferment tofu like how you ferment other stuff but forgot about it and left it for two years and only remember when the weird smell came from nowhere

[@versthappening603]

This thing: **exists** Durian: *Finally, a worthy opponent! Our battle will be legendary!*

[@MultiCklee]

Durian smells heavenly....unlike stinky toufu

[@user-te3gs4iz6q]

ck lee durian smells like shit

[@MultiCklee]

@@user-te3gs4iz6q ha ha....I pity you. Someone must be feeding you durians that are not fresh

[@user-te3gs4iz6q]

ck lee really? I need to try fresh durians one day then

[@MultiCklee]

@@user-te3gs4iz6q yes if possible, I hope you like it. Durians need to be consumed within 12 hours from the moment it dropped from the tree in the orchard. It takes some time to deliver to the urban areas , where by then it's not as nice if it exceeds 12 hours cause it will turn watery. I can't imagine the durian that they export out of our country , God knows how they smell by then . If it exceeds a day or 2 , chances are they don't taste good at all even for the most expensive variety

[@julespoon2884]

At 1:20, the translation is inaccurate. It should be translated to "You can tell from the viscosity of the brine, what stage the fermentation is at". But the video is regardless amazing! I love eating chou tofu but never knew how it was made

[@SpectralSpriteGamer]

Lol I love how you came to point that one point out. Not a bad thing. Just find it funny.

[@couchpotato2128]

Kelvin Thar but he said he watched the video, i dont think he came JUST to point out. How would he know the error was there before watching the vid?

[@itsdatboi461]

She said "we order the tofu from thickest to clearest "I think. Hard to explain chinese in english.

[@eke4451]

Dinosaur Piggypants lol

[@thirsty1629]

No, the translation is fine, in fact that “Ventricosus” word just makes it more confusing, concentration is more commonly used.

[@iyang2341]

I'm Taiwanese and I've been eating stinky tofu my whole life, it's honestly super good.

[@tituy6193]

How to make skinky tofu?

[@dearmrfrodo]

Thanks for covering story about my country.

[@obct2030]

What did the guy comment though? He deleted it apparently

[@Renegade_rm56]

you mean province

[@evs251]

How dear you call Taiwan a country this is outrageous.. JK fuck china

[@lauzhenzhoa]

I'm personally not a big fan but in Malaysia its quite popular

[@OctaviusFerdinal]

dearmrfrodo ikr finally..... Taiwan is an amazing country tbh

[@vivi4562]

I tried this before , it tastes so good just assume it’s bad because of the smell , it’s really good, it’s savory and soft and delicious 😋 I would really really recommended this

[@bluewill0]

Stinky Tofu: *exists* Durian: Am I a joke to you?

[@lanhod]

does it smells like durian. damn thats heavenly 😋

[@pureawkwardness415]

You ever heard of Surströmming?

[@Kiryu295]

PureAwkwardness considering how people could vomit if they smelled it I think stinky tofu pales in comparison

[@kaitojinn]

Malaysian: Challenge Accepted

[@trashbin9285]

Durian smells so gooddd

[@matthewchow4991]

1:20 "How beautiful it is."

[@dragonballtorture]

I have a feeling that this is much the same like durian where outsiders scoff at it but the locals absolutely love it

[@redulis_oni8391]

1:22 Lady: How beautiful it is Me: Trying not to throw up.

[@alexc5656]

Same. Don't try it... You've been warned

[@Kappaman0430]

I ate this before and I almost threw up,I'm chinese by the way

[@bentancur-wd4vc]

@@Kappaman0430 Which type of Chinese? There are many types of Chinese people across Mainland China.

[@Kappaman0430]

유지ShoEn uhhhhh I don’t know I’m American born Chinese? Haha um my parents are from like country side Fuzhou

[@bentancur-wd4vc]

@@Kappaman0430 oh, then you might be Hokkien

[@liquidtunes]

As always, great content. So happy to see one of my favourite cities featured! I'd known about the dish but still wasn't prepared for the smell the first time I walked past a stinky tofu stall in Raohe night market. To me it smelled like wet dog + all the other descriptions. But the taste is indeed enjoyable and quite disconnected from its smell (yes, I'm aware that smell contributes majorly to flavour). I just came back from Taipei this morning actually, and though I didn't get stinky tofu this time, delicious food is abundant at every street corner there. To all the Taiwanese reading this: you have much to be proud of in your country. To foreigners considering Taiwan, I encourage you to visit. Genuinely warm people, great food and so much to see and do.

[@dmitrishostakovich2176]

For a long time I hated it, when I went to Taiwan, my friends got some for me, and when I tried it, it’s got a thick flavour profile, and I loved it. For first timers, make sure you get it from a street market, that way it’s not too smelly. But the restaurant here is also great, I went there just a month ago!

[@garyography]

I tried this live on national Taiwanese TV along with a whole skewered unpeeled shrimp, they got a kick out of my reaction. I remember the night markets were so amazing, the smell of stinky tofu was everywhere.

[@shreyasanand264]

let's get Ramsay to eat this

[@juno9394]

What’s that flavour? Did you get it from a dumpster? The smell would contaminate the entire world ITS RAW

[@miftahulrespati]

Ramsay would respect the culture. Have you not seen his series, "great escape" and "uncharted"? Ramsay ate a beating snake heart, spider, etc

[@zenokwon1177]

@@juno9394”thank you chef”

[@alejandrodejan9250]

I’ve tried some of these while I was in China! And yeah it does smell off but once you get to eat it you’ll realize how delicious it really is. Its really good!

[@enerok5008]

Ey~~~ A video based in Taiwan~ My family's from Taiwan so I go back there every once in awhile. I eat everything that's tofu so I'll say I like stinky tofu. Still can't really get over the smell, but I just stuff it in my mouth lol. I recommend tasting it, hold your nose if you can't get over the smell, but it's really good. If you're in Taiwan, try it out in night markets also! Night markets in Taiwan is a main tourist attraction also because of the great variety of native foods. Try out new foods when possible!

[@moldyloaf774]

It's very delicious, the longer you have the less smellier you smell. I recommend Taitung 林家 Stinky Tofu, their tofu is less thick than normal tofu, so it's crispy on the outside and soft in the inside.

[@masterimbecile]

I've been there before! I spent a summer in Taitung for an internship I can say that place meets the Taiwanese standards. 更生路 has so many good restaurants there. The place featured in this video though... that's something special.

[@Willy-cy9kv]

This brings back so many memories, my grandmother and I would go out on a motorbike and get some for dinner or lunch.

[@emilycarey6084]

Kudos to Great Bid Story for covering chou dofu. I'm living in Taipei and tried it once, never trying again. It is NOT for me. But my coworkers and students can't get enough.

[@girlshapedrobot]

my cousins in taiwan don't like the smell but i love it lmao

[@selinahami9578]

Can it be compared to cheese? That stinks but tastes delicious too.

[@W41YN]

Selina Hami nope not at all

[@blushingralseiuwu2222]

Waiyn durian?

[@susana9795]

Selina Hami Only that Stinky Tofu smells worse

[@orcbum]

stinky tofu smells REALLY bad. you know that that pungent feet odor of parmesan cheese? it's that x5 haha

[@masterimbecile]

I would say yes.

[@fusion325]

The best street food I've ever had. I absolutely love it, this was my childhood!!

[@user-ld7cz6zq5m]

So glad to see my country being introduced, thanks for the viedo.

[@NeverLooksAtComments]

always thought it was super gross until I tried it, thinking if it's fried it must be good... it is

[@guesswho4776]

NeverLooksAtComments dude same

[@Kappaman0430]

The smell is too overwhelming for me, can’t bear myself to eat it

[@motherfrickncactus9331]

I’m Taiwanese and I visit Taiwan every other year. Since it is a 15 hour flight from where I live to there, I would be hungry. I would eat Stinky tofu. I just love the subtle taste mixed with that salty sauce. Would recommend trying it.

[@sleepwon]

i love stinky tofu. it really depends on the person but i honesty love it :)

[@sarahstrong7174]

Thankyou for showing us.

[@WrecklessEating]

Our greatest enemy.......

[@npcarl5174]

WrecklessEating lol

[@nadiahapsari3359]

Profile picture is a Durian? How ironic...

[@stancededits6590]

Damn whata coincidence

[@kylin3197]

how it's made may look disgusting but it's absolutely delicious!

[@shadowthehedgehog9190]

After it's fried, it looks really delicious. I'd love to try it.

[@arinasekarayu1551]

this channel is a blessing

[@jerrypeter5516]

A beautiful woman with a beautiful smile How about today how is the weather over there

[@LazerC4]

It trips me out how we can eat some foods that have fermented (basically rotten) while some or most we can't. I know it's all about good vs bad bacteria but this stinky tofu seems dangerous if you don't know what you are doing

[@lan-hwang]

tofu is actually very versatile material, I could name ten plus ways of fermenting it just from what i know, and i'm sure there's more out there. Pretty sure it's safe. I wonder if it has something to do with the root ingredient soybeans, since there's even more ways to ferment soybeans

[@blufilmsesa]

Salami same thing taste hella good.

[@efrenchen293]

LazerC4 That's the thing. These people know exactly what they're doing

[@terrafray]

LazerC4 I assume you only know a little about stinky tofu or food safety. As long as there are no any dangerous toxin produced by mold or pathogenic bateria which cause foodborne disease along the fermentation process, the food is save. I've tried it several times and they are amazing.

[@WokOverEasy]

Its good for the gut bacteria. You could say the same about yogurt or cheese can't you. Some cheeses, you actually have to scrape off the mold. That creeps me out a little.

[@RayMak]

So good

[@igarashi3994]

You're addicted bro

[@petalmist0288]

6 months and only 13 likes? On a Ray Mak comment?! Yooooo what

[@ivysn13]

im 16 and its so good. glad it was part of my childhood bc of my gma always trying to perserve food culture for us!

[@holisticallyHorrific]

My mom and I love these stuff.

[@K268H]

hahah i was wonder when they'll cover this topic :D

[@seraphin-e]

Once you get over the smell, it's really really good! I had some when I visited Taiwan last month. You can easily find (and smell) it in any night market 😂😁

[@Iris-gr1rn]

I actually love the smell and tastes great with chilli sauce!

[@steven68]

I missed Taiwan's smelly tofu a lot, I got hooked to this smelly dish when I was doing my reservist in Taiwan in the 90's & Noughties. Must go Taiwan for a holiday just for this dish.

[@Tabascofanatikerin]

This might sound crazy but someday I wanna try that stinky tofu. I like tofu in general. And I have heard about stinky tofu that it is comparable to mould cheese: it stinks pretty strong but tastes good. So when the opportunity is there I wanna have a bite :D This video was pretty interesting to watch but I would have wished for more information on in what other ways can stinky tofu be good for your health (like Japanese natto, it stinks and tastes strangely but your body benefits from this dish).

[@RickS2369]

It smells bad but it's addicting once you have it. It's like eating strong cheese.

[@jayvie9117]

I actually want to visit Taiwan just for this

[@gravityrain4683]

My mom LOVES it. It's true it smells like garbage but it tastes GREAT!

[@shionhanamii]

別小看它rrrr owo 臭得要命wwwww 但超好吃der wwwwww

[@marsharian]

I still remember my first reaction the first time i smell stinky tofu its awful and We can’t stand the smell. Many years later I’m trying hard to try and I realized how stupid i am avoiding and not brave enough to try traditional food here in Taiwan. Now it’s one of my favorite.

[@deinterval943]

I remember eating some (not particularly this restaurant), but it tasted great! people should try it!

[@ziaw123]

I love it! It's a must try in Taiwan

[@l0lLorenzol0l]

Mandarin is such a weird language. The way they use intonation is so different from western tongues. No wonder both mandarin speakers and western european language speakers have so much trouble learning how to speak with each other.

[@peach8982]

Lorenzo Pagani it's not weird. It just sounds different from English because Mandarin is a tonal language. btw English isn't that hard to learn

[@bryanfigueroa941]

Lorenzo Pagani isn't it Cantonese ?

[@lingoalfa789]

Bryan Figueroa it's mandarin

[@TeddyB3ARGaming]

its mandarin.

[@bryanfigueroa941]

Lingo Alfa cool thanks

[@BobbyDank1015]

My country!

[@Ivegotaidea]

Same!

[@weiyouzeng5588]

Ivegotanidea 臺灣人加一

[@Eazonoo]

Ryan Wu I'm too lol

[@sashaauyong6169]

Buddies

[@fluffyhammy5000]

Taiwan number one

[@SpectralSpriteGamer]

Lol the lady seemed so sweet. She was just running the store and all smiley and stuff.

[@Griffdog21]

I want to try it now!

[@scary3711]

"Gordon ramsay going to the kitchen" Gordon: wtf is that smell?

[@mohammedrazeenzaeencamil9344]

Gordon appreciates cultures around the world so he definitely would find this exciting and interesting

[@hinaaqeel1527]

1:24 look how beautiful is it

[@elizabethfong1192]

Never had one but i would give it a try

[@joshual.7082]

The fermentation adds a unique taste to it that is very delectable if you can get past the smell. In the Mainland China, it is more of a paste with peppers added to it, like a condiment.

[@QuangVu-gs7to]

1:23 How beautiful it is

[@GabGotti3]

Two years of fermenting vegetables. My god.

[@baloog8]

Love this lady!

[@wilsonwu4339]

Tofu is one of my favorite.It goes well with Chinese sauce

[@RayMak]

But they are super delicious and super healthy. With lots of beneficial probiotics in them...

[@sezu6141]

your everywhere.

[@markgildiel2530]

Ray Mak That's what always Chinese people says. If you always eat penis, your penis gets bigger.

[@Shadow-yn2kq]

my mom buys them in supermarket its super spicy and good

[@seeddub3536]

@@Shadow-yn2kq A supermarket in N America?

[@Shadow-yn2kq]

SeedDub yes

[@javierorozco2665]

This lady seems nice I hope she is doing well :)

[@ibandribew]

This sounds great

[@chnsx7]

one of the best snacks on earth!

[@browniebearyt151]

Looks like diarrhea but I still want to try it 😁

[@browniebearyt151]

What kind of enzymes are in this dish by the way?

[@gatitokawai3965]

BrownieBearYT hahahaha x'D

[@aerimei]

Then go ahead! Sinky tofu is delicious!

[@Rand0mManic]

diarrhea, shhhh.. Youre giving the secret recipe of her brine away.

[@9h-06elangbagaskaraputra9]

Gordon ramsay be like : WTF? WHY THERES GREEN THING? AND THIS THING SMELLS SOO BAD! *Closes Restaurant*

[@EliotLu]

Wrong

[@BokushingusKendoTV]

It actually taste really good!

[@davidli6068]

definitely try stinky tofu, it's absolutely amazing.

[@Aaron-ph5dk]

But is it stinkier than durian

[@efrenchen293]

Aaron Valeros Durian is the BEST

[@gumbadocious]

it depends on if you like it. durian is like the fruit version of stinky tofu. i tried both and i still hate the taste and smell of durian but stinky tofu smells pretty good to me now.

[@donovantan5962]

Efren Chen you either hate it or like it Sorry to say I hate it

[@HughJNess-ly6er]

Yep this shit smells like dirty vag

[@Bluemilk92]

The one time in my life I every traveled to a different state, with one restaurant in mind, and it was closed :( It was like 12 years ago in L.A. and I was trying to find "Stinky Tofu" after reading about it on some blog. I made my family walk in circles around Chinatown for hours. We found it right away, but it was "Closed by food safety inspector" and I refused to accept it. I just assumed I was at the wrong place, like an idiot. Damn food safety jackass >:/ it's tofu fermented in rotting plant matter and water! Of course it's not safe, now let me eat it you bastard!

[@Sabbathtage]

I have to try it. I LOVE cheeses that have a stinky smell. So good...

[@MrNoob1212]

I grew up in Tianjin, China. Although I personally dislike stinky tofu, I cannot deny the incredible intense savoury flavour of it, like century egg.

[@trungkhoaLe]

Stinky Tofu is my shit

[@zinanmo]

a dish that does not even came from Taiwan... lol

[@faderoseamer]

Soooo, where does it come from?

[@faderoseamer]

genocidegrande Just what I was expecting. I recommend you educate yourself about what Taiwan really is.

[@Psychol-Snooper]

The Taiwanese government was the government of China before the Communist takeover. The Taiwanese are Chinese. This thread is splitting political hairs.

[@Projectminecraftize]

genocidegrande Please tell me you are joking

[@faderoseamer]

genocidegrande Taiwan *is* China. It's pretty complicated, but let's say it's one of the two Chinas. Mainland China and Taiwan both claim to be the legitimate China. So, stinky tofu is from Taiwan, since Taiwan is China.

[@mythicalkoala5209]

good thing im eating while watching this...

[@Rockybalboa784]

Smells great, tastes great to me :o

[@chrismoore317]

Stinky tofu = Smell of my butt after I eat chipotle.

[@statingtheobvious8119]

I wonder how long I can stand having a conversation face to face with a guy who just ate stinky tofu.

[@lidette711]

Looks delicious! And it looks like it'll help me with digestion. :)

[@canadianexplorer5507]

Looks yummy

[@oscarkarais175]

I would try it

[@gusnuk68]

she had such a beautiful smile :)

[@crayopopp7171]

I'm sure it will be too stinky for me,but wow I love her passion for her tofu!

[@hellaBayAr3a]

gotta have the sauce with it. i really like it :)

[@buemogari]

Thanks I can digitally smell it by just looking

[@linus4108]

It's taste great actually

[@EnnTomi1]

as some one came from the very original city of this cruise (shaoxing), it is my fav food.

[@mikaline3963]

I want to try😍

[@_BLINDERS_]

stinky tofu is lin yi's favorite food.i love lin yi💯💯

[@Coolkipp]

The ice cream graphic at the end of the video is really cool, would it be possible to see it without the background?

[@nicolepiggly]

I luv stinky tofu!! Every time I go to Taiwan I eat it

[@zmffhfltm91]

i will try it no matter what🤗🤗

[@phuoc-toannguyen7288]

Man, im starving for some. It's the only type of tofu i haven't tried

[@artleo1251]

Just had some a few minutes ago here in Kaohsiung. Still the best

[@SungazerDNB]

Great big story, please come back

[@joshual.7082]

It's also good for health, because as said in the video it has many enzymes and beneficial bacteria just like in yogurt or cheese.